A Helena-based nonprofit organization "that follows the money" spent in the political arena now has a few extra bucks of its own to keep its eye on as the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has given it $1 million to help it continue in its mission, it was announced today.

The National Institute on Money in State Politics, perhaps known better by its website of followthemoney.org, was one of nine organizations, and believed to be the first in Montana, selected to receive the grant.

"Of course, we're ecstatic, this is an award you don't apply for," Executive Director Edwin Bender said, adding that the organization was selected for the award by the foundation. "It's an honor."

MacArthur officials and Bender said the organization will use the award to increase its reserves and rebuild its technology infrastructure.

(Photo: Larry Beckner)

Bender said part of the MacArthur grant will be used to make the institute sustainable. A piece of it will be used to expand and rebuild its technology infrastructure. He said data would be taken from proprietary software and moved into the "cloud," a form of Internet-based storage, making it available to the public.

Sean Harder, communications officer for the foundation, said while the reserve fund isn't the most exciting use of the funds, "it does go a long way to ensuring financial stability and sustainability of their work."

Among the other nine nonprofit organizations selected for the MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions include: Forest Trends, Firelight Media, iCivics and the Frame Works Institute. The grants range from $500,000 to $1 million.

"From tracking money in U.S. elections to protecting the vulnerable in Mexico to reinvigorating civics education, these extraordinary organizations are tackling some of the most difficult social challenges and achieving outsized impact," MacArthur Vice President Elspeth Revere, who leads the awards program, said in a news release. "This award recognizes their leadership and success, and it is also a significant investment in their long-term future."

MacArthur officials stated these organizations demonstrated "exceptional" creativity and effectiveness; have reached a critical or strategic point in their development; show strong leadership and stable financial management; have previously received MacArthur support; and engage in work central to one of MacArthur's core programs."

(Photo: Drake, Philip)

The National Institute on Money in State Politics, now located at 833 N. Last Chance Gulch in Helena, began in 1999, when three regional groups pooled together to focus on "the influence of special-interest contributors on state elections."

The website offers a variety of tools, including a national overview map that shows total funds raised by ballot measure committees, political parties and candidates. And it goes back through several election cycles.

Last year, the site expanded to federal spending and donations. And it features presidential, congressional candidates, political party and political action committee information.

And, as soon as next week, the site will expand to include detailed information on state legislative committees, proposed legislation, number of bills proposed by lawmakers and fundraising.

"We're adding value, being innovative and being collaborative," Bender said, adding he hopes to provide site users with a good foundation to make good decisions down the road."

It's something of a homecoming for the MacArthur Foundation and the institute, Bender said adding seed money from MacArthur was used 24 years ago to get them going.

"That early seed money and money from other foundations over time has gone on to create a national treasure," he said.

In 2012, the presidential election year, 659,715 unique visitors came to the website, and in 2014 (a non-presidential election year), 617,738 unique visitors used the site. The institute's Facebook page has 3,325 Facebook followers and 9,658 Twitter followers.

Bender said that during the 2013-2014 elections cycle, FollowTheMoney.org had 49,937 unique visitors on average per month, an increase from its 2011-2012 monthly average of 46,357, and more than double the 19,717 monthly average in 2009-2010.